ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — bread
  10. drill — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bound — obliged
  13. season — of the year
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. season — in sport
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com